An estimated $10 million worth of fentanyl found hidden inside a confiscated fish

An estimated $10 million worth of fentanyl was found hidden in fish by NYPD.

ByABC News
February 9, 2018, 9:40 AM

— -- An estimated $10 million worth of fentanyl wrapped in fish was confiscated in New York City, according to the city's Office of Special Narcotics Prosecutor and police.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid up to 50 times stronger than heroin that is increasingly being mixed with drugs trafficked illegally -- such as heroin, cocaine and a variety of synthetic drugs, the special prosecutor's office said in a release.

PHOTO: An estimated $10 million dollars worth of fentanyl wrapped in fish was confiscated in New York City, according to the Office of Special Narcotics Prosecutor for the City of New York (SNPNYC).
An estimated $10 million dollars worth of fentanyl wrapped in fish was confiscated in New York City, according to the Office of Special Narcotics Prosecutor for the City of New York (SNPNYC). The fish-wrapped fentanyl was recovered on Feb. 1, 2018 in the Bronx neighborhood of New York City.
SNPNYC

The fish-wrapped fentanyl, weighing about nine pounds, was found Feb. 1 in the city's Bronx neighborhood after New York police detectives conducted surveillance on a person identified as Johnny De Los Santos-Martinez for alleged drug trafficking, the release said.

De Los Santos-Martinez was observed in a car with two white boxes, the release said. Upon searching the car after getting a warrant, police found two Styrofoam coolers containing three bricks of fentanyl wrapped in fish and a fourth brick inside a vacuum-sealed bag containing what appeared to be chili.

PHOTO: An estimated $10 million dollars worth of fentanyl wrapped in fish was confiscated in New York City, according to the Office of Special Narcotics Prosecutor for the City of New York (SNPNYC).
An estimated $10 million dollars worth of fentanyl wrapped in fish was confiscated in New York City, according to the Office of Special Narcotics Prosecutor for the City of New York (SNPNYC). The fish-wrapped fentanyl was recovered on Feb. 1, 2018 in the Bronx neighborhood of New York City.
SNPNYC

“The brick shaped packages each consisted of a kilogram of fentanyl and together could have yielded over a million lethal doses worth up to $10 million dollars on the street,” the release said.

De Los Santos-Martinez was arrested on drug charges and arraigned in court in Manhattan Feb. 2, with bail set at $150,000 cash or a $250,000 bond. His next court date is Feb. 28, the release said.